Your school’s website is the hub of all your marketing and communications efforts. Every outbound asset — print or digital — should be strategically linked back to landing pages on your school’s website. Even then, you can never predict how your audience will find you online. It could be a quick Google search, social media post or a business directory link that brings anyone from around the world to your website. However users are finding your school online, your website should make a good first impression and encourage users to continue through their research and consumer journey. To accomplish that, your school’s homepage should answer these 3 key questions:
What Does Your School Offer?
First and foremost, your school’s homepage should be very clear about what your school offers, and to who. Your website visitors shouldn’t have to dig or school far down to find out if you’re a boarding or day school, a single-gender school, a religious school, an upper or lower school or a special needs school. The goal of your homepage is to attract relevant users and keep them on your website longer. Your homepage doesn’t have to give all the details right away — that’s where strong Call to Actions come in. The content within the homepage should lead relevant potential families to the next stage in the admissions process. Users won’t know they are relevant unless your school is transparent about what you offer from the very beginning.
Why Should I Care?
Once you state the facts that make your school who you are, it’s time to start showing off what makes you different from your competitors. Each highlight of your homepage should align with your school’s mission and value proposition. In addition to the written homepage content, this can be accomplished through infographics, photographs and embedded videos — all of which will help tell your school’s story without making the page too long.
What Do I Do Next?
No matter if the website visitor is a current parent, a prospective family or a loyal alumnus, your school’s homepage should lead every school community member to their next step. The Call-to-Actions on your homepage should be specific to each of these sub-audiences who are visiting your school’s website so they distinctly know where they should go next. For example, leading prospective families to the Admissions section of your website will be critical for them to continue through the admissions process. However, school alumni will likely not go to the same place. Rather, your call-to-actions for them should lead towards Giving.
Summary
No matter how people are finding your school on the internet, you only have a few seconds to make a good first impression that leaves your audience wanting to continue their journey. That is why your school’s homepage is the most critical page on your website. The goal is to be straightforward while telling your school’s story through your value proposition.
With over 20 years of combined experience in admissions and marketing, Katava Marketing can build your school a website that will have a positive impact on your school’s enrollment. Contact Us to get started!
